LABOUR AND THE CHURCH

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6970, 9 November 1909, Page 8

LABOUR AND THE CHURCH

" IN CLOSER TOUCH." THE SCHEME IN OPERATION. (By '‘Blue Pencil.”) On tho motion of the Rev. Dr Gibb tho Assembly resolved to consider a scheme to bring the Church and organised labour into closer touch, by giving Presbyteries representation on the Trades Councils and Trades Councils representation on tho Presbyteries.—Nows item, 1909. Tho Wellington Presbytery met in November, 1912. The Rev. Donald Me'Lavish moved that a call be submitted to the Rev. Sandy McPherson, of Edinburgh, ( to take tne Brooklyn charge. Mr Glasscloth, representing the Cooks and Waiters’ Union, asked the Moderator to inform the Presbytery of the candidate's views on the labour question. Was Mr McPherson in favour of a three and a half hours day for cooks and waiters, with eleven hours for meals, two months’ holiday annually, and a minimum wage of .£lB per week, payable daily? He (Mr Glasscloth) had heard it elated at the Cooks’ Federation that Mr McPherson's views wore antagonistic to the aspirations of the great party of cooks and waiters. Religion was ■no good to them unless it shortened the hours of labour. He reminded the Presbytery of the bad old ; times when cooks had to get up before breakfast; 'when they had even to prepare morning meals for a crowd of wealthy tomfists. Happily, those days were past, but they had to take care lest they introduced parsons from less civilised places who might not support the emancipation of labour. He saw no reason why labour should ,not take its place in the pulpit, and moved an amendment that Mr Kauri, secretary to the Kaiwarra Timberworkers’ Union, be given -a trial in tho Brooklyn at £I2OO a year. The Moderator was glad Mr Glasscloth had represented the .matter in its proper light. He recognised the strength of the representations made on behalf of labour, and withdrew’ his motion in favour of Mr Glasscloth’s.

Mr Kauri was unanimously appointed. The weekly meeting of the Trades and Labour Council was opened with prayer. The Presbyterian Moderator was present, representing the'Kirk* The Council sang the hymn, "Work, for the Ni£ht is Coming. - ” The president reported that fhe_ Arbitration. Court had awarded nail-drivers the miserable wage of <£B per week. Since the reduction of hours they all had to go more into society, and keep up a certain standard of living. How could this bo don© on a beggarly pittance? He moved that the Government bo emphatically urged to remove, not only the President of the Court, but the whole of the members, from the Bench, and that any future appointments to the Arbitration Court should be made by a joint conference of Presbyteries and Trades Councils. (Cheers.) Tho Moderator stated that he was in entire sympathy - with the motion. The clergy had recently decided to register under the Arbitration Act and file disputes with their congregations. Their stipends were absurdly small —a paltry .£1509 a veaa* was all he was drawing, and he had to work four hours every Sabbath. It was clear they could never hope for justice 'from the present Arbitration.: Court, and he agreed that a sweeping change must be made. . The secretary to the Seamen s Union said he had a serious matter to bring before the Council, and ho was glad the Moderator was present. It had been discovered by the sub-committee on union labels that the "Church Praise/ the very book from which they had sung "Work, for the Night is Coming, was printed at a non-union shop. (Sensation.) . . • „ The Moderator rose to a point of order. A matter of this kind, reflecting as it did on the Christian character of the -party he represented, had no right to be sprung upon them in this abrupt manner. He moved that the Committee on Morals and Wages consider the question raised by thp Seamen’s and bring down a Deliverance to next- Council meeting. ' , After a somewhat, heated discussion, during which the president accused the Moderator of sweating his coachman, the motion was agreed to. Lt was resolved that confirmation ot Mr Kauri'« appointment as minister at Brooklyn be postponed until such tune as the* Council may be satisfied as to the bona tides of the Presbyterian Church in the. matter of the printing of Church After singing _ the Dqxology the meeting closed in disorder.